Automatic electric toaster



March 10. 1925: 1,529,342

5. CHRISTY AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed May 1.4, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

SAM CHRISTY, OF DE MOINES, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC TOASTER.

Application filed May 14,

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, SAM Cumsrr, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polkand State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful AutomaticElectric Toaster, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic electric toasterfor bread and the like.

My invention involves a structure in which there is provided a casinhaving a compartment for toasting bread and the like and preferablyhaving below that compartment another compartment in which drawers maybe provided. The toasting compartment is provided with heating means,such as resistance units and the lower compartment is so located withrelation to the up er compartment that it receives some ieat and isadapted to keep the bread warm when the bread is dropped therein.

A further object is to provide in such a device means for automaticallydropping the bread into the lower compartment after a predeterminedtime.

Still a further object is to provide means I whereby the currentis'automatically shut ofi at a predetermined time or is automaticallyshut off by opening the drawers.

A further object is to provide in such a machine a novel heating unit.

Another purpose of my invention is to provide novel mechanism, wherebythe bread may be dropped after various predetermined lengths of time.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contempl ted are attained. as hereinaftermore fullv set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the toaster embodying my invention.

Figure 2 shows a top or plan \'ll\\' of the same, parts being omitted,parts broken away and parts being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a detailed, sectional view taken n the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows an elevation of one of the heating units. part of thesupporting frame being shown in section.

Figure 5 shows an enlar ed, plan view of part of the operating mecanism.

1923. Serial No. 638,820.

Figure 6 shows a detail, sectional view taken on the line 60 of Figure5.

Figure 7 shows an elevation of a friction gripping or clutch element.

Figure 8 shows a detail view, parts being broken away, of a pawlmechanism forming part of the device, looking from the rear of thedevice.

Figure 9 is a detailed, sectional view enlarged, illustrating thearrangement of one of the bus bars.

Figure 10 is an elevation of the controlling dial, parts being brokenaway and parts being shown in section.

Figure 11 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 1111 of Fi re10; and

Figure 12 is a detai, section-a1 View illustrating a modification of myinvention.

In the drawings herewith, I have shown the toaster having the casingcomposed of the front wall indicated generally by the referencecharacter 10 and having the side walls 11, the rear wall 12,.the lowerfloor or deck 13 and the intermediate floor or deck 14. l

The floors or decks 1B and 14 may be cast from metal and formed withdownwardly projecting reinforcing ribs 15 and wit flanges 16 bolted orotherwise secured to the side, front and back walls.

It will be seen that the upper deck or floor 14 divides the casing intoan upper or toasting compartment an a lower compartment for receivingthe toasted bread and the drawers for holding it.

Slidably extended into the lower compartment through the front wall 10is a series of drawers 17 each having a knob or the like 18. Above eachdrawer is what I may call a toasting unit including three pairs ofspaced heating elements and suitable guide and supporting means for aseries of slices of bread.

As shown herein, each unit is designed to handle three slices of bread.

The, upper part of the upper compartment has a removable cover 19 withhandles 20. The cover is provided with a series of toaster units aresimilar in construction and I will therefore describe only one of themin detail.

Each toaster unit has at its opposite sides heating elements. Eachelement consists of the substantiall rectangular frame 24. Each frame 24has a plurality of vertical ribs 25 extending from the top member of theframe to points spaced above the bottom thereof and spaced horizontallyfrom each other as illustrated for instance in Figure 4.

Equi-distantl spaced from the ribs 25 at the top of the rame aresupporting lugs or hook members 26 for the resistance unit hereinaftermentioned.

The frame 24 is (preferably of a molded insulating compoun and is ofhigh electri cal and temperature resistance.

At each upper corner of the frame '24 is mounted a pin or the like 27 towhich is secured one end of a link of nichrome wire 28 or other suitableresistance unit. The wire 28 is secured to one of the pins 27 and thenextended downwardly and around the lower end of the next adjacent rib 25thence upwardly and over the next hook or supporting member 26 and soon, and the opposite end of the wire 28 is secured to the other pin 27.

One element is placed against the front wall 10 of the upper or toastingcompart ment of the casing. Two elements are then placed back to backadjacent to each other and spaced from the front element a sufficientdistance to leave room for a slice of bread 29 between the two forwardheating units.

Spaced a similar distance rearwardly is another pair of units and spaceda similar distance from that pair is another heating element, as shownin Figure 3.

Extending downwardly from the top of the u per compartment is a shortcross frame mem r or partition 30 which helps to keep the heat away fromthe machinery and also helps to support the rear heating element 24 andthe bus rods hereafter mentioned.

It will be seen that a space is provided between the first two heatinelements for a a slice of bread 29. A simifiir space is provided betweenthe third and fourth heating elements and a similar space between thefifth and sixth heating elements.

Each toasting unit therefore in the form of the toaster shown herein hasprovision for three slices of bread.

It will, of course, be understood that this arrangement could readily bevaried.

At the ends of each space, I provide end members 31 shown in Figures 2,3 and 4, which serve to limit the movement of the slices of breadsideways in the toaster.

The ribs 25 protect the slices of bread from contact with the resistanceelements.

At the bottom of each such space, the deck or floor 14 is provided withan opening 32 to permit the bread to drop through into the lower 0rstorage compartment and into the appropriate drawer 17.

Later herein, I will describe the supporting element which is arrangedat each of such openings 32.

In the rear part of the upper or toasting compartment is a space orcompartment for certain operating mechanism. In such lastnamed space ismounted an electric motor 33 having the shaft 34 on which is a gearelement 35.

I will now describe the electrical connections for the heating element.

Received in the back of the upper or toasting compartment are theconducting wires 36 and 37, which may be connected with any source ofelectrical energy.

Adjacent to the upper parts of the heating elements at the opposite endsthereof are bus bars 38 extended through the wall 10 and the supportingframe member 30, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 9 and insulated fromsaid walls by bushings 39 and 40.

The head of each bus bar 38 projecting from the wall 10 is covered by aninsulator cap 41 screwed on the bushing 39 as shown in Figure 9.

Keyed to an end of each bus bar 3 8 is a wing nut or the like 42. Fixedto each bus bar 38 by means of pins 43 are collars 44 with helical camfaces as shown in Figure 3.

One collar 44 is located substantially midway between the first andsecond frames 24, another substantially midway between the third andfourth frames 24, and another substantially midway between the fifth andsixth frames 24.

On each side of each collar 44 is a bushing or collar 45 having acontact finger 46 projecting into a notch 47 at the upper corner of theadjacent frame 24, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 9, and arranged tocontact with a pin 27 already described.

In each toasting unit, there is provided a switch. I have shown in thedrawings two forms for this switch.

In Figures 2 and 3, I have shown a switch comprising the contact 48mounted on the insulating bracket 49. The contact 48 is connected by awire 50 with one of the wires 33 or 37.

A push rod 51, angular in cross section and extending fore-and-aft inthe device, is slidably mounted in a bracket 52 and in the front wall 10as illustrated in Figure 3 and projects forwardly from the wall v10, asshown. I j

' Secured tothe rear end of the push rod 51 is a bar of insulatingmaterial 53, which supports the contact 54. The contact 54 is designedto coact with the contact 48. The contact 54 is connected by a wire55with the bus bar at one end of the frame 24. The bus bar at the otherend of the same set of frames is connected by a wire 56 with the otherwire 36 or 37.

It may be mentioned in this connection that in order to afford betterelectrical connections and prevent any shorts between the adjacent busbars, the adjacent bus bars of two different toasting units areconnected to the same lead wire 36 or 37 as the case may be.

Thus as shown in Figure 2, the righthand bus bar of the left-handtoasting unit is connected through the switch to the wire 36, and theleft-hand bus bar of the second toasting unit from the left is connectedwith the wire 36, whereas the left bus bar of the left-hand toastingunit is connected with the wire 37 and the right-hand bus bar of thesecond toasting unit from the left is connected through the switch withthe wire 37, and the left-hand bus bar of the third toasting unit isconnected with the wire 37 and so on.

Mounted on the wall 10 at the front end of each push rod 51 is a sleeveor tubular member 57. Mounted on the forward end of each push rod 51 isa tubular cap 58, which is telescopically slidable on the member 57.

A coil spring 59 is mounted on the outer end of the push rod 51 andtends to force the rod 51 outwardly for holding the rod 51 in positionwhere the contacts 54 and 48 are spaced from each other.

Adjacent to each opening 32 are brackets 60, which support rods 61extending laterally in the device.

On each rod 61 is a slice supporting member 62, which in one position ofits movement, as shown in the left-hand part of Figure 3 for instance,projects over the opening 32 and is adapted to support the slice ofbread 29.

Fixed to each rod 61 is an arm 63. A link 64 is pivoted to each arm 63and to the adjacent push rod 51, as shown for instance in Figures 2 and3.

The parts just described are of such size, shape and connections thatwhen the push rod is at the rearward limit of its movement with thecontact members 54 and 48 in engagement, the members 62 will be held insupporting position, that is to say substantially horizontal, asillustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. whereas when the push rod 51 is movedforwardly by the action of the spring 59, the rods 61 will be rocked fortilting the supporting elements 62 downwardly for permitting the slicesof bread 29 to drop through the openings 32 into the drawers 17.

For holding the push rod 51 at its rearward limit of movement againstthe tension of the spring 59 with the contact points 54 and 48 inengagement, I have provided the following means: ()n a bracket 64adjacent to the push rod 51 is pivoted a pawl 65 adapted to coact with anotch 66 in the upper face of the push rod 51.

The pawl 65 has an upwardly extending curved arm 67, which is engaged bya spring 68 mounted on the bracket 64 for yieldingly pressing the pawl65 against the push rod 51.

I have provided means actuated from the motor 33 for releasing the pawl65 after the motor has operated a certain number of revolutions whichwould, of course, be for a predetermined length of time. Such a meanshas an adjustable element adapted to be varied for regulating the timewhich will elapse after the device has been set in operation, and beforethe pawl 65 is released.

Mounted in suitable brackets 69 is a transverse shaft 70. Supported by abracket '71 is an inclined shaft 72 shown for instance in Figures 2 and3.

On the shaft 72 is a gear device 73, which meshes with the gear device35 on the motor shaft 34.

On the shaft 72 is a worm 74 arranged in mesh with a worm wheel 75 fixedon the shaft 70.

It will thus be seen that motion is imparted from the shaft 34 throughthe gear 73, the shaft 72, the worm 74 and the worm wheel 75 to theshaft 70.

On the shaft 70 is fixed a spur gear 76 for each toasting unit.

Mounted in the brackets 69 and parallel with the shaft 70 is atransverse shaft 77, which projects through one of the end walls 11, asshown in Figure 2, and has on its outer projecting end a dial 78.

On the shaft 77 adjacent to each arm 67 is a short sleeve 79 on one endof which is a cam 80 arranged to coact with the arm 67.

It is noted that the sleeve 79 is mounted to permit rotary movement ofthe sleeve on the shaft 77.

' Rotatably mounted on the sleeve 79 is a spur gear 81 in mesh with theadjacent gear 76 on the shaft 70. Spaced from the spur gear 81 and fixedto the sleeve 79 by means of a kev 82 or the like is a beveled gear 83.

Loosely received on the sleeve 79 adjacent to the gear 81 is a springwasher 84. A spacing sleeve is mounted on the sleeve 79 between thebeveled gear 83 and the spring washer 84 for holding the spring washerpressed against the gear 81.

It thus appears that rotation of the gear 76 will impart rotation to thegear 81 and the frictional engagement of the gear 81 with the washer 84,the sleeve Y85 and the gear 83 impart rotation to the cam 80 and sleeve79.

The parts are so arranged that when the motor is started, the cam 80will engage the arm 67 of the trigger pawl 65 in a predetermined timethereafter depending upon the starting position of the cam 80.

Before startin the motor, the cam 80 may be'adjusted to differentpositions for thus determining the length of time for the toastingoperation by the following means: n the shaft 77 adjacent to the cam 80is fixed a sleeve 86. Projecting from the sleeve 86 is a lug or the like87 on which is pivoted a movable stop member 88, having a projecting arm89, which is normally held in engagement with the stop arm 90 on thesleeve 86 by means of a spring 91.

The stop member 88 is so located that when the cam 80 is rotated on theshaft 77 counter clockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, the stopmember will be engaged and pushed out of the way against the tension ofthe sprin 91, whereas when the cam is rotated on the shaft in theopposite direction, it will be engaged and sto ped by the member 88.

' he shaft 77 and sleeve 86 thereon are ad'ustable rotatably.

I ivoted to the dial 78' is a dial latch 92,

having a portion 93 projecting through an opening 94 in the dial andprovided with a head 95. The dial latch 92 has a finger 96 adapted to beprojected into anyone of a series of holes 97.

s A spring 98 presses the dial latch fin er 96 toward the wall 11 inwhich are the ho cs 97. The dial 78 may be provided with a knob 99. V

It will be seen that by pressing inwardly on the head 94, the latch maybe released and the shaft 7 7 rotated for adjusting the sleeve 86 andthe stop member 88 to any desired position.

Awi'sliaft 100 for each toasting unit extends fore-and-aft in themachine and pro 'ects through the front wall and has a ead 101 on itsforward end.

On the rearward end of the shaft 100 is a beveled gear 102, shown forinstance in Figure 5, which meshes with the beveled gear 83 hereinbeforedescribed.

Pivoted to a bracket 103 projecting downwardly from the deck 14 is adrawer locking device, hav ng the form of a bell crank lever 104, onearm of which normally hangs in the upper part of the drawer 17 inposition to be engaged by the rear wall of the drawer in case one shouldattempt to pull out the drawer.

Another arm of the bell crank locking device 104 projectsupwardly-through a slot 105 in the deck 14 to position adjacenttothe-forward edge of the insnlatii ifilmaterial bar 53, as shown inFigure 3. us when the ush bar 51 is released and moves forwardl it willoperate the lock 104 to move its lower arm to position to permit therear wall of the drawer to clear the locking device when the drawer ispulled out.

Mounted on a bracket 106 at the lower rear part of the lower compartmentis a reel or drum 107 on which is wound a cable 108 secured to the rearwall of the drawer 17. A spring 109 tends to wind the cable on the drum,so that when the drawer is pulled out, the spring will be wound tighterand when the drawer is released, the spring will automatically wind thecable 108 on the drum 107, thus pulling the drawer back to its closedposition. v

I will now explain somewhat more fully the operation of my improvedtoaster and some of its advantages and will thereafter explain themodificatious'of my device illustrated in Figures 5 and 12.

The motor 33 is, of course, connected with the wires 36 and 37 and assoon as the external switch is closed, the motor runs. In preparing forthe operation of the machine, the shaft 77 is adjusted'for setting thestop 88 in proper position by the manipulation of the dial 78. Shafts100 are rotated for rotating the gears 102 and 83 for turning the cams80 clockwise or backward (assuming them to be in the positions as shownin F igure 3) until the cams engage the stops 88. The slices of bread 29are then dropped through the slots 21, depressing the closure device'23until they drop downwardly upon the slice supporting members 62.

Current is supplied to the heating units in the manner hereto oredescribed, and as soon as the external switch is turned on, the motorbegins to operate.

Being geared down, the motor turns the gears 81 and the cams 80 veryslowly. At the proper time, the cams 80 engage the arms 67, thus drawingthe pawls out of the notch- 66. Thereupon the push bars 51' are actuatedby the springs 59 with a forward movement, which through the links 64actuates the arms 63 and rocks the shafts 61 for tilting the slicesupporting members 62 downwardly and permitting the toasted bread todrop into the drawers 17.

The forward movement of the push bars 51 moves the locking device 104 toinoperative position, so that the drawer may be pulled out for removingthe toast.

It will be noted that.the movement of the push rods disconnects thecontact members 54 and 48 and shuts off the current through the heatingelements.

When the operator desires, he may push the rods 61 rearwardly, whereuponthe spring 68 will cause the pawl 65 to enter the notch 66 and thecurrent will again be closed through the heating element.

The operator ma slices of bread and e should immediately thereafterrotate the appropriate shaft 100 for turning the cam 80 ack toengagement then drop in fresh with the stop 88, whereupon the motor willagain slowly rotate the cam untiL the cam again engages the arm 67.

On account of the bread varyin some what, it may be desired to change te predetermined toasting period, and this is accomplished in the mannerhereinbefore described by rotatin the shaft 77.

In Figure 5, I have shown a slightly modified form of the swit h inwhich a resilient or spring pressure is secured.

In the form of the switch shown in Figure 5, I have illustrated the pairof contact points 110 mounted on an insulating bracket and connectedrespectively with the wire 50 leading to one of the main currentconducting wires and the wire 55 leading to one of the bus bars.

On the plate 53 of insulating material is an upwardly extending plate112.

Mounted on the plate 112 are two spring bars 113. The spring bars 113are separated by spacer blocks 114 and carry the contact points 115 forcoacting with the points 110. The points 115 are connected y thewire116.

In Figure 12, I have shown a device for operating the switches, whichmay be used instead of the push rod 51 and its connected arts. A switchlike the switch shown in igure 5 is employed, except that for the member53, there is substituted a bar 117 slidably mounted in the bracket 118and connected with a lever 119 extended through a hole 120 in the deck14 and pivoted between its ends at 121 on one of the ribs 15.

On the rear wall of the drawer 17 is mounted a plate 122 extendingforwardly and having an upwardly extendin flange 123, as shown. Thelower end of t e lever 119 is held by springs 124 and 125 normally insubstantially upright position. Then when the drawer is closed, thelower end of the lever 119 stands between the flange 123 and the rearwall of the drawer.

When the drawer is pulled forward to pull it out, the rear wall engagesthe lever 119 and operates the switch for opening it.

After t e rear wall clears the lever, the lever is pulled back by therings to substantially vertical position. en the drawer is closed, theflange 123 engages the lever 119 for closing the switch.

The 5 ring members 113 permit the lever 119 to c ear the rear wall andengage the flange 123, which holds the lever 119 in position for holdingthe switch closed.

It will thus be seen that when the device shown in Figure 12 isemployed, the opening of the drawer will automatically break thecurrent.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of thevarious parts of my device, without departing from the essentialfeatures and purposes of my invention and it is my intention to cover bymy claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing having a compartment fortoasting bread or the like, means for heating said compartment, astorage compartment below said first compartment, a movable supportingelement between said compartments, and means for automatically movingsaid supporting element to ino erative position.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing having a compartment fortoasting bread or the like, means for heating said compartment, aStorage compartment below said first compartment, a movable supportingelement between said compartments, and means for automatically movingsaid supporting element to inoperative position after a predeterminedlength of time.

3. In a device of the class described, a compartment for toasting breador the like, a heatin means therein, a storage compartment be ow saidfirst compartment, a mov able supporting element between saidcompartments, and means for automatically rendering said heating elementand said movable supporting element inoperative after a predeterminedlength of time.

4. In a device of the class described, a compartment for toasting breador the like, a heating means therein, a storage compartment below saidfirst compartment, a movable supporting element between saidcompartments, and means for automatically rendering said heating elementand said movable supporting element inoperative after a predeterminedlength of time, said last means being adjustable for varying the time ofits operation.

5. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, anelectric heating element therein, a storage com artment below said firstcom artment, a rawer slidably mounted in t e storage compartment, and amovable supporting element between said compartments.

6. In a device of the class described, a toasting com artment, anelectric heating element therein, a storage compartment below said firstcompartment, a drawer slidably mounted in the storage compartment, amovable supporting element between said compartments, means forconnecting said heating element with a source of elactrical energy,including a switch, and means for automatically operating saidsupporting element for dropping bread or t e like supported thereon fromthe toasting compartment to the storage compartment after the currenthas been on for a predetermined length of time.

7. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, anelectric heating element therein, a storage compartment below said firstcoinpartment, a drawer slida bly mounted in the storage compartment, amovable supporting element between said compartments, means forconnecting said heating element with a source of electrical energy,including a switch, and means for automatically operating said suporting element for dropping bread or t e like supported thereon fromthe toasting compartment to the storage compartment after the currenthas been on for a predetermined length of time, and means forautomatically shutting off said current when the drawer is removed.

8. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a storagecompartment adjacent to said toasting compartment, :1 drawer in saidstorage compartment, an electrical heating unit in said toastingcompartment, means for connecting said unit with a source of electricalenergy, and means for shutting off the current when said drawer isopened.

9. In a toaster, a toasting compartment, a storage compartment belowsaid toasting compartment, a heating means for said toastingcompartment, a movable supporting element between said compartments, anmeans for moving said element to inoperative position when the toastingoperation is completed for permitting the toasted bread or the like todrop into said storage compartment, so that it may be kept warm untilused, and means for moving t e supporting element to operative positionwhen the heat ing means is made 0 erative.

10. In a toaster o the class described, a toasting compartment, astorage compartment therebelow to receive toast dropped therefrom, anelectrical heating unit in said toasting compartment, :1 drawer slidablymounted in said storage compartment, means for connecting said unit witha source of electrical energy, and means for locking the drawer, adaptedto be rendered inoperative when the electrical current is shut off.

11. In a toasting device of the class described, a toasting compartment,a storage compartment therebelow to receive toast dropped therefromadapted to receive toasted bread or the like from the toastingcompartment for keeping the bread warm, a drawer in said storagecompartment slidablv mounted, and means tending to yieldingly hold saiddrawer in closed position.

12. In a toasting device of the class described, a toasting compartment,a storage compartment therebelow to receive toast dropped therefrom, adrawer in said storage compartment slidabl mounted, and means forautomaticall cc osing the drawer after it has been mov to open position.

13. In a device of the class described, a casin having a compartment fortoastin bread or ,the like, means for heating sai compartment, a storagecompartment below said firstcompartment, a movable supporting elementbetween said compartments, and means for automatically moving saidsupporting element to inoperative position after a predetermined lengthof time, said means being adjustable for varying the time of itsoperation.

14. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein, an electric circuit includin a switch and saidheating units, a push r0 operatively connected with one member of theswitch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to position foropening the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for bolding the push rod inposition with the switch closed.

15. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein, an electric circuit including a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operatively connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positionfor opening the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for holding the push rodin position with the switch closeld, and a mechanism for releasing saidpaw 16. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, apair of heating units therein, an electric circuit includin a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operatively connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positionfor openin the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for ho ding the push rodin position with the switc closed, and a mechanism for releasing saidpawl after a predetermined length of time.

17. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein, an electric circuit including a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operatively connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positionfor opening the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for holding the push rodin position with the switch closed, and a mechanism for releasing saidpawl after a predetermined length of time, said mechanism including anadjustable element for varying the action of said mechamsm.

18. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein, an electric circuit including a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operatively connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positionfor opemng the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for coacting with saidpush rod for holding it in position with the switch closed, yieldingmeans tending to normally move the push rod to position with the switchopen, and a movahle supporting element operatively connected with saidpush rod.

19. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein. an electric circuit including a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operativelv connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positi nfor opening the switch, a spring-actuated pawl for coacting with saidpush rod for holding it in position with the switch closed, yieldingmeans tending to normally move the push rod to position with the switchopen, a shaft, means for locking said shaft in different positions ofits movement, a spring-actuated stop device on said shaft, a cam looselymounted on said shaft for coacting with said pawl, a source of power,and means for operatively connecting said source of power with saidpawl, said means including a friction device.

20. In a device of the class described, a toasting compartment, a pairof heating units therein, an electric circuit including a switch andsaid heating units, a push rod operatively connected with one member ofthe switch, means tending to yieldingly move said push rod to positionfor o enlng the switch. a spring-actuated awl or coacling with said pushrod for iolding it in position with the switch closed, yielding meanstending to normally move the push rod to position with the switch open,a movahlc supporting element operatively connected with said push rod, aswinging locking device adapted to be moved to inoperative position bythe movement of said push rod in one direction, a receiving compartment,and a drawer therein adapted to coact with said locking device.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 8, 1923.

SAM CHRISTY.

